The short answer
A BPWM machine that has become noisy is usually reacting to how it is loaded and where it stands. The brand-generic page starts at the drum bearing; on this platform the shell is lighter and the spin speed does more of the work, so balance and level come first by a long way.
What you observe
- A rhythmic thump at low speed — A load gathered on one side. It is the machine telling you it could not redistribute, not that a part has failed.
- A squeal that rises with drum speed — A belt or a bearing, where the model uses a belt.
- The machine moves across the floor — On a light chassis this is the normal consequence of a foot not carrying weight.
- Loud only during the spin — Balance, footing or something loose. The spin is the only part of the cycle with enough energy to make the rest audible.
Causes, most likely first
- The machine out of level or standing on a floor that gives — First on this family. A light chassis has nothing to damp a spin that is even slightly out of true, so one foot off the floor turns an ordinary load into a machine that walks and drums.
- A load gathered on one side — Second. A small drum concentrates an unbalanced load far more than a large one, so a single heavy item or a sheet that has wrapped will produce a thump the whole house hears without anything being wrong with the machine.
- Tub bearing or drum support wear — Last. It is real, it is progressive and it is the one cause here that is not an owner fix - on a machine of this size it is usually a replacement decision rather than a repair.
- A worn belt or drive component — On models that use a belt, wear gives a squeal that rises with drum speed and a smell of hot rubber if it is slipping. It is the first cause on this list that needs a panel off.
Check in this order
- Open the pump filter or access flap and look at what is in it — Worth doing while the machine is off anyway, because debris here explains a noise heard only during draining.
- Confirm any transit restraint has been removed and stored — Last of the free checks, and the first one worth doing on a machine that has never been quiet.
- Check every foot is carrying weight, with a level across the top — Second because it is free and because it is the leading cause on this family.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never reach into a drum that is still coasting, and never defeat the lid or door interlock to watch a spin - that interlock is the only thing that stops the drum with a hand in it.
Models in the BPWM family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. The table resolves to more than one model stem, so confirm yours in it before assuming a neighbour fix applies.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BPWM09W | black-decker:washer:bpwm |
| BPWM16W | black-decker:washer:bpwm |
| BPWM20W | black-decker:washer:bpwm |
When to call
Call when the machine is level, the drum is clear, the pump filter is clean and it is still noisy in the same way. At that point the cause is a belt, a bearing or a drive component, and all of them sit behind a panel.
Other faults on this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
